How did Mary Main apply attachment theory to adults?

Attachment Theory
Read more fromChapter Major Movements in Psychology

Mary Main was interested in the way attachment status might manifest in adults. She recognized that quality of attachment could not be easily captured in behavior, as it could be with infants, but would have to be investigated as an enduring part of personality. She built on Bowlby’s concept of internal working models to consider the way adults represent attachment relations. A representation is like a mental image or map of relationships. Main addressed questions about attachment: How do adults think about and talk about attachment? What is their narrative about attachment?